


Are You Okay?

by Ally_Rose



Series: During the Battle, and After [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 14:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20047288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ally_Rose/pseuds/Ally_Rose
Summary: After the Battle of Starcourt, Steve and Robin try to learn how to be okay again.





	Are You Okay?

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of my story "Hold On". You don't have to read that first but it slightly differs from canon in that the Russians don't go as easy on Robin in the bunker.

It was two weeks after the battle and Steve and Robin were not okay. They were healing, just very slowly. The swelling had gone down and the bruises were starting to fade, but they still had some visible marks to remind them of what they had gone through.  
Their ribs were healing but it still hurt to take deep breaths. They were careful about the way they moved. A wrong twist or bend would send a shot of pain through their whole body.  
Their concussions were fading, and they were able to think more clearly. The headaches and dizziness were still a fairly constant part of their day. They made sure not to watch TV to loudly or for too long at a time and took care to stand slowly.  


######  _They learned to adapt, but Steve and Robin were not okay._

It was four weeks after the battle and Steve and Robin were not okay. The physical ailments were nearly fully healed. Steve could finally throw himself down on the couch without a grimace. When Robin needed to escape, she could sit and watch movies for hours without a headache.  
With the physical reminders gone, Steve and Robin could face their reflections in the mirror without flashbacks. What they couldn’t face were the nightmares. What started as not wanting to be alone the night after the battle had turned into Robin spending more nights at Steve’s house than her own.  
_He needs me_ Robin thought to herself. _I need to help him through this._  
Steve didn’t mind her practically moving in. _She needs me_ Steve thought to himself. _I need to help her through this._  
They were there for each other. Neither would admit their dependence on the other.  


######  _They learned to cope, but Steve and Robin were not okay._

It was six weeks after the battle and Steve and Robin were not okay. No one was fully okay, but they were all managing. They were trying to enjoy summer like kids their age were supposed to.  
They’re not sure how they agreed to this, but the kids wanted ice cream and both Nancy and Jonathan were busy. When Dustin asked them for a ride, Steve and Robin didn’t have it in their hearts to turn them down. It’s not the kids’ fault that just the words “ice cream” bring them back to that Russian bunker. To when Steve offered free ice cream to the man who was in the middle of torturing them.  
When asked why they weren’t getting anything, Steve laughed and said he was watching his figure. Robin joked that scooping ice cream for months had ruined it for her.  
__

######  _They learned to smile through it, but Steve and Robin were not okay._

It was eight weeks after the battle and Steve and Robin were not okay. With Robin and the kids back in school, Steve was spending more time alone than he wanted. He tried to get a job. He went around town looking for openings, even read the classifieds in the newspaper. He tried, but in this task, he failed.  
When Robin looked at her schedule on the first day of school, she saw she was in beginners Russian, a class she had definitely not signed up for. Her guidance counselor said it was a new class being offered. She said that Robin’s transcripts show how well she does with languages, and that she should give this a try. So Robin tries. She goes to class and listens as they go over simple vocab. On day three they learn colors. She tries to stay in the present as her teacher says the words silver, yellow, blue. She tries to hear her teachers voice, but only hears the voice of the man on the tape. The man Steve later beat in a fight in a secret bunker. As soon as class ends, Robin goes to her guidance counselor. Tells her she doesn’t want to learn a new alphabet and asks to be switched into advanced French. She tried, but in this task, she failed.  
__

######  _They learned to try and move on, but Steve and Robin were not okay._

It was twelve weeks after the battle, and Steve and Robin were not okay. Today, no one was okay. Today, the Byers move out of state, taking El with them.  
Everyone went over to help. They played music while they cleaned and packed. Steve and Robin couldn’t help but really laugh when the kids poorly sang along to “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”  
At the end of the day, everything was packed, and it was time to say good-bye. Having to part was difficult, painful even. But they knew this was a normal pain. Separating from loved ones wasn’t easy, but at least it was due to normal geographic distance. No one was leaving forever or lost in an alternate dimension. They could write, and they could call, and they would see each other again.  
__

######  _They learned to compartmentalize, but Steve and Robin were not okay._

It was twenty-five weeks after the battle, and Steve and Robin were not okay. Not fully. Not yet. But they were improving.  
It was Christmastime and the Byers were visiting. Murray Bauman came with them. He brought news of hope that Hopper might be alive. He was following several promising leads and assured everyone he would keep them updated.  
For days they were all together. They had meals as one large family. They exchanged presents, sang Christmas carols, and watch holiday movies. When it snowed, they played outside for hours before warming up by a fire with hot chocolate. They laughed and they smiled, and none of it was fake.  
__

######  _They learned to forget the bad, but Steve and Robin were not okay. Not fully. Not yet._

It was fifty-two weeks after the battle, and Steve and Robin were…finally okay. They had a new part time job. They had been accepted into college.  
They hadn’t had to deal with any monsters, or terrorists, or alternate dimensions for a full year.  
Hopper was back. He was found and returned in one piece.  
Everyone was back in Hawkins to celebrate the Fourth of July. They all met at Steve’s house. They went swimming, had burgers and hot dogs. They lit fireworks, and watched as they exploded in the sky, where they belong. Last years’ holiday was starting to fade in their minds, and they were all able to enjoy being together again.  
Steve and Robin sat and watched the fireworks. They watched as the kids played games like normal kids should. They talked to Nancy and Jonathan about dorms, and class schedules. They listened to Hopper and Joyce bicker while looking at each other while love in their eyes.  
__

######  _They learned to live again, and Steve and Robin were finally okay._


End file.
